Signal box or package.



. APPLIOATIO N FILED APR.27, 1905- PATBNTED MAR. 20, 1906. J. W.BEGHERBR. SIGNAL BOX 0R PACKAGE.

"2 SHEETS-[SHEET 1.

No.'815,783. I PATENTED MAR. 2ov

J. W, BEGHBRER. SIGNAL BOX ORYPAOKAGE.

APPLIOATIONIILED APR. 27, 1905.

2$IIE3TS SHBET2.

- WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.-

I JAY W. BEOHERER, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR To GOSTON SIGNALCOMPANY, A CORPORATION on NEW YORK.

ISIGNAL BOX OR PACKAGE.

- To all whom it may concern/.1

i. The object ofthis invention is to produce a 1 portable water tightcompartment box or carrying-case of compact form and of a constructionadapted particularly for the safe storage and carriage of the well-knownCoston signal-lights now universallycarried on merchant and othervessels for the purpose of signaling for aidin case of distress. Thesesignal-lights are manufacturedin the form of cartridges, each containingdifierent-colored burning lights and mounted on a cylindrical blockadapted whenthe signal is to be burned to be inserted in a handle orholder having a firing-pin which when actuated explodes a percussion-capin the base of the cartridge and ignites thejsignal. boat Inspectors ofthe United States Government have promulgated re ulations requiring thatthe life-boats and ife-rafts carried by merchant vessels be equippedwith a supply of thesesignals, the present regulations calling for sixdistress cartridges or signals and a firing-handle to be carried in awater-tightbox or case. My invention is designed, therefore, Withspecialreference to the production of a carrying-case to meet these conditions;and the invention consists of a compartment-box comprising a numberof'non-conimunicating water-tight compartments mounted and sustained infixed rela tions in a casing and each compartment having one end openand provided with a movable water-tight'closure, so that access may behad to the interior of the compartments.

The invention consists also in the improved water-tight signal-packageformed with a plurality of non communicating compartments containing adesignated equipment of signals and a firing-handle.

The invention consists also in the details of construction andcombination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a pers ective view of myimproved compartmentox. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectionthrough the same, showing the signalcartridges and firing-handle intheir respective compartments. Fig.3 is a transverse sec- Specificationof Letters Patent. Application filed April 27, 1905. Serial No. 267,794.

The Board of Steam Patented March 20, 1906.

tion on the line a, a of Fig. '2. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of thesustaining-casing in which the tubular compartmentsare mounted and bywhich they are sustained in fixed relations.

Referring'to the drawings, my improvedbox comprises three tubularelongated compartments 1, 2, and 3, preferably constructed of sheetmetal with their lower ends closed and their upper ends open andprovided with removable water-tight. closures in the formof removablecaps 4. 7 These compartments are constructed water-tight, so that whenthe caps are applied thereto the access of water or moistureilto theinterior of the compartments is effectually prevented. The tubularcompartments are held in fixed relations side by side, so as toconstitute a single fiat portable body or case which is; effectedeconomically and conveniently by providing a sustaining-casing'of theform represented more particularly in Figs. 1 and '4. In these figuresit will be seen that a single sheet of metal is bent into Fl shape,so'as to form two parallel side walls 5 and a top 6, which top isprovided with a central circular'opening 7 and has its ends formed -withsemicircular recesses 8 and 9.' At the "lower ends, the side walls areconnected with a horizontal bottom ing ends of the plate 10 andextending be. tween the edges of the side walls and seated near theupper ends in the semicircular recesses Sand 9 in the top, the edges ofthe side walls being soldered or otherwise connected to the sides of thetubes, as clearly indicated in Fig. 3. The central tubular compartment 2is extended between the other compartments and within the side walls 5,its lowerend resting on the bottom plate 10 and its upper end extendingthrough the opening 7 in the top.

The upper ends of'these three compartments terminate a short distancebeyond the top of the, casing and are provided with screwthreads toreceive the closing-caps 4, which caps are correspondinglyscrew-threaded, so as to form a water-tight joint. I prefer, as shown,to form the screw-threads in collars 12 and solder or otherwise fastenthese collars over the projecting ends of the tubes; but of course thethreads may be formed in the ends of the tubes. The tubular compartmentsare of such size that there is sufiicient space for the storage of threesignal-cartridges A in each compartment, so that the full number orequipment 6 demanded by the regulations may be stored in the twocompartments 1 and 2, the firing-handle B being stored in the othercompartment 3.

In the construction described it will be seen that I have produced awater-tight readily-accessible package containing a full signalequipment, such as is demanded that every life-boat and life-raft shallcarry. The package as a whole isin compact conveniently portable form,is of such construction that the si nalswill be protected against theaccess 0 water or moisture, so that under the conditions usuallyencountered on the high seas the signals are at all times ready for usein case of distress.

An important feature of my invention resides in the fact that the threecompartments are wholly andentirely independent of each otherthat is tosay, each is complete in itself, there being no. division-plate orseparate wall common to two adjoining compartments and serving as a wallfor both compartments. As shown in Fig. 3, the compartment 1 is providedwith its continuous tubular closing-wall which is separated from andindependent of the wall of the next compartment 2, which latter is inlike manner separated from and independent of the Wall of the nextcompartment 3. These three tubular compartments are sustained, however,in fixed relations and their separation maintained by the sustaining andinclosing casing, which serves as a means for holding the tubularcompartments in fixed relations and in. the form of a flat compactsingle body.

The construction described greatly reduces the liability of injury toone compartment affecting the next, for one of the compartments may bedestroyed throughout without affecting the next compartment, which wouldnot be the case with a common dividing-wall employed to separate twoadjoining compartments.

In the practical use of the device, more particularly under conditionsencountered in times of war, there is considerable danger of the boxbeing perforated by bullets, and it is of the greatest importance thatthe danger of the injury or perforation of one compartment affectinganother be reduced to a minimum. A leakage of water into one compartmentif it finds its way into the next would destroy or render unfit for usethe entire supply of signals. By having the three tubular compartmentsentirely independent of each other, with its complete and continuousclosing-wall separated from the others, the risk of leakage from onecompartment to the other is greatly reduced.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1.. In a compartmentbox the combination with a sustaining-casing having a top, recesses inits ends, side walls connected to the edges of the top, and a bottomplate connected with the lower ends of the side walls, of tubularcompartments seated on the bottom plate and in the recesses in the top,with the edges of the side walls connected to said coinpartments, andclosures for the ends of said compartments.

2. In a compartment-box the combination with a sustaining-casing havinga to formed with an opening therethrough, and having recesses in itsends, side walls connected with the top, and a bottom plate connectedwith the lower ends of the side walls and extending at its ends beyondsaid walls, of two tubular compartments seated respectively on theprojecting ends of the bottom plate and in the recesses in the top, theside walls being connected to said tubular compartments along the sidesof the same, and an intermediate tubular compartment extending throu hthe opening in the top and within the side wallsbetween the endcompartments, and closures for the upper ends of said tubularcompartments.

3. In a compartment-box the combination of a flat sustaining-casingprovided with side walls, a plurality of independent tubular bodiesarranged side by side between the said walls of the casing with theouter edges of the casing secured along the sides of the two tubular endbodies, leaving the outer sides of said tubular bodies exposed, andclosures for said tubular bodies.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand, this 25th day of April,1905, in the presence of two attesting witnesses.

JAY W. BECHERER.

Witnesses:

HARRY J. B. YOUNG, HARRY E. SYPERREK.

